Device for dispensing liquid preparations through a brush



NOV. 24, J, B. MccABE ET AL 2,659,919

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING LIQUID PREPARATIONS THROUGH A BRUSH Filed Sept. 10, 1949 FIG l MPH! . INVE T S J SEP B. MQC'AEE PIQUL G. MARCON\ ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 24, 1953 e UNITED attain DEVICE FOR DISPENSING LIQUID PREP- ARATIONS THROUGH A BRUSH Joseph B. McCabe and Paul G. Marconi, Ridgefield, Conn, assignors to Import Products Comporation of Connecticut Application September 10, 1949, Serial No. 115,082

4 Claims. ('01. 15-136) Our invention relates to a novel and improved device for dispensing liquid preparations through a brush.

We provide a compact and portable container in which a suitable quantity of liquid preparation may be stored, and which includes means for dispensing a small amount of said liquid preparation through a self-contained brush, with which the liquid may be advantageously applied. This combined container and dispenser is adapted to be made in a size slightly larger than a conventional lipstick case, so that it may be conveniently carried about on the person. The dispenser is particularly adapted to dispense liquid preparations of a viscous nature such as nail polish, nail lacquer, liquid lip preparations, etc., although it may also be used for the dispensing of nonviscous liquids such as perfumes, etc.

The dispensing means provided with the container is adapted to'be manually operated with the use of a single hand and without regard to the volatility of the liquid contained therein.

Other objects and advantages of our invention willbe readily apparent in the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the container and its associated parts, the closure cap of the device not being shown;

' Fig. 2 is a vertical section which shows the container in its assembled form and in an upright position, the container. being partially filled with a" liquid preparation;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the closure cap II and its outer shell 22; and

Fig.3 i is a vertical section showing the entire device in the assembled condition in which it would be carried about on the person, the closure cap being attached to the container body and said container body being shown in an inverted position. T

The device generally comprises a container 10' and a closure cap I i. The container comprises an outer rigid casing l2 which is preferably made of Bakelite or other suitable material which will not chemically react with the ingredients of the contained liquid preparation. The casing i2 may be cylindrical, and is made with open front and rear ends.

The rear end of casing 12 is provided with an integral, enlarged knurled head 13 which is hollow, and which has an outer open end its. Into thisopen end' l3a a cup-shaped flexible insert Incorporated, Ridgefield, Conn., a coror plug M is fixedly secured by a force fit. Plug or insert It is made of a flexible plastic such as polyethylene. Plug 14 being thus afifixed within the open end Eta of the knurled head [3, provides a liquid-tight and gas-tight seal for said open end. The end wall of plug It is convexly shaped to provide a flexible diaphragm I ia which may be distended or pressed inwardly from the outside of said container It. When the insert It is in its fixed position, as shown in Fig. 2, the rear surface of diaphragm lta is substantially flush with the rear edge of head l3.

The outer surface of casing 12 is provided with an external helical thread 15 commencing adjacent to, and extending forwardly of the knurled head It. The thread I5 is used to reinovably secure the closure cap l l to the container l0.

An insert It is also provided at the front end of casing [2. said front insert I5 is made of a flexible plastic such as polyethylene and has. a through and through longitudinal bore Ifia, an enlarged head [db and a sleeve i6C which has a small diameter than said enlarged head 1%. Said sleeve I50 has a diameter of such a size that it may be forcibly inserted within the front open end of easing l2, and said sleeve ltC' being fiexible, it is assembled in sealing relation with the front end of the casing 52 by means of a force fit.

A plurality of brush bristles l'i are inserted within a ring it, said ring being also made of polyethylene or other suitable flexible plastic. The bristles are preferably made of animal hair or a soft synthetic material which is suitable for applying a contained liquid preparation. The

ring I8 is forced into the bore I500 at the front end of insert It in which position itis firmly and frictionally held. The ring it fits tightly around the group of bristles il approximately at the- The ring it is preferably made of the same ma terial as the insert It in order that the bristles may be firmly held without the possibility of adifferent degree of thermal expansion between said ring i8 and the rigid front head 16b of insert [6.

In actual practice, we prefer to hold the front insert it in inverted position, insert the bristles ll into position within bore Mia, and then force the ring 18 into position within said bore 16a;

The enlarged front head I Sb of insert I6 is preferably encased by a metal ring I9 which is of substantially the same dimensions as said head Ifib and is tightly secured thereabout by any suitable means.

Metal ring I9 is provided to prevent obj ectionable thermal expansion of its encased parts.

When the sleeve I60 of front insert I5 is force fitted within the front end of easing I2, the inner edge of enlarged head Iiib abuts the forward edge of casing I2, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. The metal ring I9 is thus located externally and forwardly of the Bakelite casing l2, said ring also protruding circumferentially beyond the wall of said casing I2.

In the assembled position of Fig. 2, the bore I611 of insert I6 communicates with the internal recess of casing I2, so that the liquid preparation L in said recess will contact the rear ends of bristles I! when the container I is held in an inverted position shown in Fig. 4 with the front insert I6 facing downwardly.

The bristles I! are preferably sufiiciently fine and are clamped together sufficiently by ring [8 to provide a substantially liquid-tight or non-drip seal when the dispensing device is not in actual use but is inverted. The bore Ita in front insert I6 is also made sufficiently long and has a sufficiently small diameter to insure this nondrip seal.

The closure cap I I is made of Bakelite or other material which has a low heat conductivity and a low permeability to radiated heat, in order to provide effective heat insulation for the container Ill. Said closure cap II is shaped to house the entire casing I2 with the exception of the enlarged head I3. Closure cap I I has a front closed end 20 and a rear open end 2 I.

A metal shell 22 may be optionally provided for ornamental purposes, said shell 22 tightly encasing the closure cap H. The shell 22 may be force fit about said closure cap, or adhesive may be used for afiixingsaid members.

The open end 2| of closure cap II is provided with an internal thread 23. This thread 23 matches the external thread I of casing I2, so that the containerIO may be removably secured to closure cap II. The threads are preferably right handed so that when the container II! is inserted in closure cap II and the knurled head I3 is turned clockwise relative to closure cap I I, said closure ap s b ought to its secured position shownin Fig. 4.

As shown in Fig. 4, the closed front end of closure cap II is provided With'a relatively small recess or bore 24 which is positioned to receive and house the bristles II when closure cap II is screwed to its secured position. Said bore 24 is large enough, however, to prevent all or practically all of said bristles I1 from contacting the sides of said bore 24. The inner face of the closed end 20 is also provided with an annular circumferential ridge or rib 25 which surrounds the bore 24. When the closure-cap II is in its secured position shown in Fig. 4, this rib 25 presses or digs into the front face of the relatively soft polyethylene head I6b of insert I6, thus forming a matching sealing groove which provides a liquidtight and gas-tight seal around the :bore 24 and its contained bristles 11.

Hence, when the closure cap II is in its secured position and the deviceis invertedand even shaken by ordinary transportation, the liquid preparation in container III .does not leakthrough bristles I'I into .bore or recess ;24 because the pressure of the interior of container I0 is the same as the pressure within bore 24. No appreciable amount of liquid will pass through bristles I1 even if diaphragm I Ia is accidently depressed while the closure cap I I is in secured position. .In such case, theforward end of bristles I'I will not be saturated with the liquid and said brush B will remain dry or substantially dry.

It will be noted that in the closed position of the device shown inFig. 4, the Wall of casing I2 is spaced from the wall of closure cap ll- Thus an air space is provided between container I0 and closure cap II except at the threaded portions I5 and-23 thereof, in order to insulate said container Ill from any passage of heat through closure cap II. This insulation is provided to prevent heat entering casing I2 and causing the pressure of air and vapor in said casing I2 to increase to a point where some of the contained liquid is forced through bristles II.

It will be noted, that in this regard, the casing I2 and closure cap I I. are preferably made of the same material so that any heat entering .the device will tend to increase the pressure equally in both the recess 24 and the interiorof .casing I2.

When the dispenser is to be used, the closure cap II is removed from the container Ill and said container is held in a vertical position with the front end thereof pointing downwardly. In this position, the inner endsof the bristles I I are immersed in the contained liquid L. When .the flexible diaphragm Ma is depressed by the thumb, the air and vapor immediately-below said diaphragm is compressed, and a small quantity of the liquid preparation is forced through the bristles I1, resulting in partial or complete saturation of said bristles. The liquid may then-berapidly applied by rubbing the brush over the finger nail or the like.

In ordinary use, the liquid which has been taken up by the brush will be sufiiciently .dispensed, so that when the rubbing application is stopped, none of the liquid preparation willdrop out of the brush. The bristles I? do not provide a perfect air seal. .When the diaphragm Ida is released, its flexible nature will induce it to assume its normal convex shape, and the pressure within the container ID will be reduced. Enough air will leak through the brush into the interior of said container I0, so as toprovideair pressure in the container which is'equal to external atmospheric pressure. If the device is inverted after application and the diaphragm I ia is released, any excess liquid remaining on the bristles I! will be drawn back through said bristlesinto the interior of easing I2.

If the container is intended to be used to dis!- pense a non-viscous, free-flowingliquid, preparation such as perfume, the diameter of the bore Mia and also of the ring 13 is sufiicientl reduced, and the length of bore Ilia is suificiently increased.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has beenshown and dscribed'herein, itis obvious that numerous changes, omissions, and additions may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What We claim is:

1. A device for containing and dispensing a liquid preparation whichis viscous and-vanorizes at a temperature slightly above room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure, .said 7 device comprising a hollow tubular casing which is. closed at its upper end,-aniextension member closing off he bottom :end of said casing, said extension member having a through-and-through bore which communicates with the hollow interior of said casing, a brush applicator which comprises a plurality of bristles extending longitudinally through said extension member bore and extending forwardly thereof, the central portion of said applicator being clamped within the wall of said extension member bore at the forward portion thereof, the rear portion of said applicator being wholly located within said extension member bore and being spaced from the wall thereof, the portion of said extension member bore in which the rear portion of said applicator is located being of smaller diameter than the diameter of the hollow interior of said casing, a portion of said casing being compressible from its normal shape by pres sure on the exterior thereof to decrease the interior volume thereof and force said liquid preparation through said bristles, said casing portion being sufiiciently resilient to return to its normal shape when said pressure is released, said device also including a closure cap which has a closed end and an open end, said closure cap being shaped to house the greater part of said casing, the open end of said closure cap having connecting means adapted to releasably secure said closure cap about said casing, the closed end of said closure cap having a wall which contains a longitudinal recess which houses the forward end of the brush applicator when said closure cap is secured to said casing, the closed end of said closure cap also having an internal annular projection disposed circumferentially around said recess and positioned to firmly abut said extension member adjacent to said brush applicator when said closure cap is secured to said casing, whereby to provide a gas-tight and liquid-tight seal around said brush applicator and said recess, said casing and said closure cap being made of a material which has a low heat conductivity and a low permeability to radiated heat.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the greater portion of said casing is spaced from the interior of said closure cap.

3. A device according to claim 1 in which said connecting means comprises respective interfitting threaded portions at the open end of the inner face of the wall of said closure cap and on the outside of the closed upper end of the side wall of said casing, said casing being spaced from said closure cap except at the end portions of the side wall of said casing.

4. A device for containing and dispensing a liquid preparation which comprises a hollow tubular casing which is closed at its upper end, an extension member closing off the bottom end of said casing, said extension member having a throughand-through bore which communicates with the hollow interior of said casing, a brush applicator which comprises a plurality of bristles extending longitudinally through said extension member bore and extending forwardly thereof, the central portion of said applicator being clamped within the wall of said extension member bore at the forward portion thereof, the rear portion of said applicator being wholly located Within said exten sion member bore and being spaced from the wall thereof, the portion of said extension member bore in which the rear portion of said applicator is located being of smaller diameter than the diameter oi the hollow interior of said casing, a portion of said casing being compressible from its normal shape by pressure on the outside thereof to decrease the interior volume thereof, said casing portion being suinciently resilient to return to its normal shape when said pressure is released, said extension member bore extending sufiiciently rearwardly of said applicator and being of sumciently small diameter relative to the diameter of said applicator and the bristles being held sufficiently closely together, all in relation to the surface tension of the liquid preparation, whereby to retain substantially all of said contained liquid preparation rearwardly of said brush applicator against the force of gravity when the internal pressure of said casing equals external pressure.

JOSEPH B. MCCABE. PAUL G. MARCONI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 334,046 Pinkham Jan. 12, 1886 824,688 Ferris June 26, 1906 843,690 McDowell Feb. 12, 1907 907,850 Mountford Dec. 29, 1908 1,960,387 Marcher May 29, 1934 2,101,415 Stuart Dec. 7, 1937 2,235,453 Kirmes Mar. 18, 1941 2,377,117 Watkins May 29, 1945 2,466,785 Schreyer Apr. 12, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 256,122 Switzerland Feb. 1, 1949 

